Home Award: Novosibirsk Testament Dmitry Bashmakov about children's sports, raising youth and charity

Six months ago, a new charity fund appeared in Novosibirsk, the founder of which was the entrepreneur and philanthropist Dmitry Bashmakov. For more than 10 years, on a voluntary basis, he has been supporting children's sports, patriotic education of youth and helps families where children with disabilities are growing. Having created the fund, Bashmakov hopes to make such assistance more effective. Now he summarizes the first results of the organization.

- At the end of the year, it is customary to take stock - both personal and public. Which of these categories do you belong to the appearance of the fund? How do you evaluate his activity?

- The fund exists only six months. During this time, we held several dozen events, participate in interesting projects, and establish ties with close in spirit to public organizations. At first glance, the whole matter is purely public. On the other hand, such work means a lot for me in the personal plan. I don’t know how to express myself for sure, but I can’t pass by, stay away if I see a situation in which you need to help people who find themselves in a difficult situation. Where does it come from? Probably laid down at the genetic level, from my parents, grandparents. Even if you feel bad, help those who are worse. Well, how to evaluate the work of the fund - let others talk about it. According to reviews from the side, I hear that we are moving in the right direction.

Lessons of courage

- Your long -standing friendship and assistance to the special purpose detachment “Ermak” is known to many, your fund implements together with the detachment of the event on the patriotic education of youth. Frequent guests of the detachment are pupils of the youth sports club in the freestyle wrestling "Dawn". Tell us how joint events are taking place, what can I teach the guys?

- You know, we all try to educate in children not only strength and ability to fight, but also spirit, faith, respect for the elders, patriotism, so that they love our homeland, respected its history. One of the areas of activity of our fund is called - "Lessons of courage."

In August of this year, they organized a tour of the Ermak detachment for the pupils of Dawn. The fighters conducted indicative classes in the strip with overcoming numerous obstacles. There were several firing borders with working out a variety of tasks. The guys got the opportunity to feel like special forces, get acquainted with military equipment, ride an armored personnel carrier and a heavy “Ural” along the forest paths. After training, they realized that a special purpose detachment was not just “shoot, clog, throw a grenade and return home in orders.” This is a huge military work. Sweat, blood, and sometimes tears, which, of course, will not see special forces on the faces.

The road to the temple

-In October, the Dmitry Bashmakov Foundation and the Novosibirsk Regional Branch of the “Russian Military Historical Society” signed an agreement on cooperation. What is its essence, what projects are we talking about?

-It all started on a visit to the director of the largest interactive park-museum “Russia-My History”, candidate of historical sciences Alexei Pronin. We talked well, shared plans related to the revival of public and scientific interest in the history of temples in the territory of military towns in different regions of Siberia. Alexei Pronin spoke about the idea of ​​restoring the regimental military church in the name of St. Nicholas of Mirliki, which was in the territory of the 17th military town, it was destroyed during the years of perestroika. We hope that this good idea will be supported by the Novosibirsk Metropolitan. This is a very serious project: to recreate the first stone church in Novosibirsk, to rebuild and transfer to the jurisdiction of the Novosibirsk diocese. During the First World War, replenishment for the army was formed in the military town. According to historians, tens of thousands of Siberians passed monthly through the garrison. Today, near the place where the Church was once stood, the Museum “Russia is my story”, many children from all over the region come here, cross-country ability is 1000 people a day.

We respect any religion, communicate and make friends with different faiths. At the same time, as an Orthodox person, I understand that I must put my forces in the joint restoration of the temple, which, among other things, is a spiritual monument to Russian soldiers. I believe that for the fund this project is a priority.

It is logical that with the assistance of the director of the Museum “Russia-My History”, our fund signed agreements on cooperation with the Novosibirsk regional branch of the “Russian Military Historical Society”. All of us have a common goal-patriotic, spiritual and moral education of youth. We have already managed to implement a number of joint projects, such as, for example, “Hero Day”.

Sports and youth

- You do a lot for the Zarya sports club. How important is it for you to participate in the club’s affairs, help his pupils and coaches?

- You see, since childhood, I have been playing sports all my conscious life. Most of those with whom we created Zarya in 2012, I know for more than 20 years. We are friends from childhood or, as we say, "friends from the carpet." As enthusiasts of freestyle struggle, we want to convey their skills and knowledge to a new generation, grow real champions. So the "dawn" is part of my life.

Today, two funds take care of a sports club at once: ours and the Fund for the development of children's and youth sports "Dawn" led by Denis Chakhovsky. Here, children are engaged in absolutely free, these are more than 300 boys and girls aged 6 to 18 years. All costs, except for renting premises, are our concern.

- And what are the results?

-In just 5 years, the Zarya SK became one of the best in the Novosibirsk Region for the children and youth sports club in freestyle wrestling. This year we participated in more than 50 tournaments and competitions, up to the international level. A lot of victories, prizes. I especially want to note the first team place at the championship of the Siberian Federal District among young men. There was no such achievement in the Novosibirsk freestyle wrestling about sixteen.

This year we had a gold champion of Europe-a 15-year-old student of Novosibirsk school No. 86 Daria Manuel. In June, Dasha won “Gold” at the European Free Wrestling Championship among schoolchildren in Hungary. Last year, she won the international tournament "Children of Asia." And literally this month she took the next “gold” in Irkutsk, where Dasha participated in competitions for the prizes of the champion in freestyle wrestling of Natalia Vorobyeva.

Caring for children

-For 10 years now, you have been patronizing the Kolyvan boarding school for orphans and children with disabilities, providing them with versatile assistance. This year, the Zarya sports club began to cooperate with social activists from Novosibirsk, to conduct inclusive events for children with such diagnoses as cerebral palsy, autism. How did this idea come? What is your attitude to such forms of adaptive physical education?

- Everything happened spontaneously. The initiative was shown by the dad of one of the boys who is engaged in Zara. He met the activists of the physical education club “Movement-the Life of Novosibirsk”, then they went together to the leadership of the “Dawn” and our fund, and that was all the case. At first, they conducted a joint training in which several dozen of our guys and “individuals” participated. Everyone liked it so much that they decided to hold an inclusive Spartakiad in a playful way.

Of course, my attitude is the most positive. The same as our coaches and young dawn wrestlers. Imagine how great it is when a child who has great difficulties in moving, limited in communicating with peers, instead of sitting in four walls, goes to the wrestling carpet on a par with healthy guys?! And everyone is glad to him, are ready to help. After such classes, faith grows stronger in their strength and opportunities, from this it is better for the child, and his parents, and to everyone who is involved in the inclusive process. I see how beneficial this affects the pupils of the "dawn". Makes them older, teaches to be strong through good, active compassion.

I especially remember the boy Matvey. He arrived in a carriage in a stroller for an inclusive spartakiad. It was evident that every step was given to him with great difficulty, but he courageously, with burning eyes, with a great desire to win, fought in every competition, our children-sportsmen supported him.

Perhaps it was this joint project that was the largest award for me in the past year. Of course, the victories of our young athletes are very pleasing, but the first steps of the “specialists” along the wrestling carpet bring no less joy and internal satisfaction. It is at such moments that you understand the importance of what you are doing, the life -giving power of a good deed. You get powerful motivation to continue social activities, to help those who need our help and support.

Alexey Odintsov